Cho Gue-sung's header in 99th minute leads Korea to quarterfinals

After the Asian Cup round of 16 match against Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, Korean national soccer team striker Cho Gue-sung stated, “I wasn’t able to enjoy it as much as I wanted.” Rather than expressing happiness, it seemed like he was satisfied with finally overcoming the pain he had been feeling.

Korean soccer made a comeback, thanks to Cho's dramatic header just before the end of the second half. The team then defeated Saudi Arabia in a penalty shootout, advancing to the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup for the eighth consecutive time. The match ended in a 1-1 tie in overtime, with Korea eventually winning 4-2 in the penalty shootout. Despite making 22 shots that day, it was disappointing that the Korean squad scored only one goal. As Korea strives to reach the top of the Asian Cup for the first time in 64 years, it will compete against Australia at 12:30 a.m. on Saturday to advance to the semifinals.

After the first half with a 0-0 draw, Korea conceded a goal to opposing striker Abdullah Radif just one minute into the second half. Despite falling behind, Korea aggressively pressed to breach the opponent's goal. However, Saudi Arabia's defense proved formidable, with goalkeeper Ahmed Al-Kassar forming an impenetrable wall. “The Saudi goalkeeper blocked the ball very effectively,” Cho said. “Although numerous opportunities were in the second half, they were all thwarted. I was surprised.”

After taking a two-day break, Korea is set to face Australia in the quarterfinals. They find themselves at a physical disadvantage compared to the Australian team, which enjoys a five-day break. Australia secured their spot in the quarterfinals by defeating Indonesia 4-0 on Sunday, with no overtime.

Bae-Jung Kim wanted@donga.com